Snowstorm 'Nemo' Claims Four Lives In Canada And US

At least four people have died after a massive snowstorm battered the north east coast of America and Canada, in a blizzard that could break all records, according to forecasters.

More than 16 inches of snow has fallen in some places, with the extreme conditions grounding flights, closing workplaces and sending residents rushing home.

Boston could get up to three feet of snow in snow storm, dubbed 'Nemo', forecasters have warned.

A car sits in the ditch as a winter snow storm bears down on Buffalo, N.Y., on Friday.

Throughout the north east, about 350,000 homes and businesses had lost electricity as wet snow, freezing rain and howling winds caused havoc. Most of the power cuts were in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Massachusetts banned all vehicles from the road, something that has not been enforced since the great blizzard of 1978.

The state's nuclear power station in Plymouth was forced to shut down as a cautionary measure too, although authorities say there is no threat to the public.

Residents of New York hunkered down as winds of up to 75 mph whipped areas, some of which were still struggling to get back on their feet after superstorm Sandy in November.

However some shoppers were still out on the streets of the Big Apple, making last minute purchases before retreating to the refuge of their homes.

Some were still out on the streets stocking up before the worst of the snow storm

Many were grabbing last minute items to stock their larder or keep them entertained over the coming days, as millions have been told by authorities to stay indoors.

More than 4,300 flights have been cancelled including all those to and from New York City airports.

Canada was affected too, with two deaths after the snow storm caused 200 traffic accidents in Ontario, reported CBC. An 80-year-woman was also killed after falling down whilst shovelling snow from her doorstep.

For those confused by the 'Nemo' name given to the fierce storm, 'Nemo' does not refer to the clownfish made popular by the Pixar animation, but Captain Nemo, the Jules Verne character from "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea."

"Captain Nemo was a pretty tough, fierce guy," Bryan Norcross, a meteorologist who helped conceive the storm-naming last year, told the New York Times.

US Snowstorm Nemo

US Snowstorm Nemo

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Massive Blizzard Hits New England

WINTHROP, MA - FEBRUARY 9: A man shovels snow along Winthrop Shore Drive February 9, 2013 in Winthrop, Massachusetts. The powerful storm has knocked out power to 650,000 and dumped more than two feet of snow in parts of New England. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)